Toy vehicle



Dec. 4, 1923. 1,476,295 A. C. GILBERT TOY VEHICLE Filed July 4 .1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 vwewtoz Dec. 4 1923. 1,476,295

v A. c. GILBERT TOY VEHI CLE Filed July 14 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 latenterl Dec. 4, 19.23.

srnrss rArsNr OFFICE. f

ALFREDG. GILBERT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A OOR-PORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

TOY .VEHICLE.

Application filed July 14, 1919. Serial No. 310,562.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. GILBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing in New Haven, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

T his invention relates to toys, and more particularly to toys of that class termed construction toys, designed to be assembled to produce various different toy devices. The present invention pertains more particularly tothe assemblage of these construction parts to produce a relatively long knockdown toy vehicle provided with front and rear axles and relates to manually operable means mounted upon the vehicle to propel the rear wheels of the same.

In my application, Serial No. 310,561 filed July 14, 1919, I have described and claimed a toy vehicle of this general type in which the construction parts are assembled to form a toy wagon provided with a front and rear axle. The present application relates to an assemblage of the toy construction parts to form a different type of wagon or vehicle, andto manually operable means by which the rear wheels may be driven to propel the vehicle.

One object of my invention is to provide a relatively long frame member constructed to have'front and rear axles secured thereto in various relations.

Another object is to provide a strong, durable toy vehicle of the type indicated, which may be readily assembled and taken apart and in which the parts may be assembled in various relations to each other.

Still another object is to provide manually operable means upon the vehicle for driving the rear wheels ofthe same.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the underneath portion of'a toy vehicle embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front View of Fig. 1 showing the device in its upright position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the underneath portion of the device shown in Fig. 1, showing the same provided with mechanism forl driving the rear wheels of the vehicle; an

Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the device shown in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, I have shown a toy vehicle construction of the type known as a coaster, which is designed more particularly to furnish a wheeled toy to be used by children in coasting 'downhills and the like. In Figs. 3 and 41, I have shown the same mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, with gear driving means applied thereto to drive the rear wheels ofthe vehicle, the parts being constructed to be operated by a child riding upon the vehicle. In thismanner, I have constructed a wheeled toy of the general type known as a geared racer'designed to be propelled forward by a child riding upon the same and operating a rocking lever.

Turning our attention first to Figs. 1 and 2, in these two figures I have designated by the numerals 10 and 11 a'pair ofrelatively long frame members, upon the upper face of which is mounted aseat member 12, the same consisting preferably of a relatively wide board or the like, having a number of drill-holes 13 formed therethrough, by means of which the seat member maybe secured to the frame members 10 and 11 in different positions by a plurality of bolts 14:. An angle bracket 15 is preferably secured to the underneath face of the members 10 and 11, adjacent the forward end of the same. This bracket preferably has substantially the configuration shown, and is provided with spaced legs having the opposite ends 16 bent inwardly towards each other, and through these ends are formed drill-holes (not shown) to receive bolts by means of which the bracket 15 may be boltedto the frame members 10 and 11, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. This bracket serves to retain the forward ends of the members 10 and 11 in spaced relationto each other. The front axle 17 is pivotally connected to the bracket 15 by means of the U-shaped clip 18, which clip is pivotally secured to the lower face of the bracket 15 by means of the bolt 19. The spaced legs of theclip 18 preferably have circular holes formed therethrough, through which the axle 17 is inserted to thereby secure the axle to this clip.

In order to prevent the axle 17 from moving longitudinally through the clip 18, a

second clip 20 is preferably provided mounted upon the axle 17 between the spaced legs of the clip 18' and rigidly secured to the axle by means of the set screw 21.

The rear axle 22 is preferably secured to the rear portion of my toy vehicle in the following manner. Upon the under face of each of the frame memberslO and 11, adjacent the rear end of the same'is secured an agle bracket 15 similar to the bracket 15, above mentioned, and to the lower face of each of the brackets 15 is secured a clip 18 similar to the clip 18, above mentioned, the rear axle 22 being passed through circular holes formed in the spaced legs of each of the clips 18, as shown more particularly in Fig. l, and in order to prevent the axle 22 from moving longitudinally through its clips, the same is preferably provided with a clip 20 similar to the clip 20 clamped to the front axle. The opposite ends of the front and rear axles may be provided with any desired type of wheels, such for example as designated by the numeral 23, and these wheels may be secured to the axles by cotter pins 24or by any other preferred means. In" the device. illustrated, I have shown each of the relatively long frame members 10 and 11, as constructed of relatively short wooden pieces secured togetherin end to end abutting relation by clamping plates 24, however, this is not an essential feature in all embodiments of my invention herein disclosed.

From the construction so fardescribed, it will be seen that the parts of the same may be quickly and easily assembled to form a wheeled coaster, which is so constructed that a child may sit upon the seat member 12 and steer this vehicle by resting his feet upon the front axle 17 and it will also be apparent that the seat member 12, due to the numerous bolt holes formed through the same and through the frame members 10 and 11 may be bolted to the frame members in various positions in order to vary the distance between the seat member and the front axle. Furthermore, it will be apparent that if desired the distance between the front and rear axles may be varied, since the bolts securing the bracket 15 and the brackets 15 to the members 10 and 11 may be inserted through any desired bolt holes. 7

In order to convert the coaster shown in Figs. 1 and 2 into the geared racer shownin Figs. 3 and 4, very few. changes need be made in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, except that it is necessary to add to this structure mechanism for driving the rear wheels of the vehicles. In Figs. 3 and l, it will be apparent that the front axle 17' is secured to the frame members 10 and 11 in exactly the same manner that these parts are secured together in Figs. 1 and 2, and it will also be apparentthat therear axle 22 is secured to the rear ends of the members 10 and 11 exactly the same as in'Figs. l and 2, except that the clip 20 has been omitted. In order that the rear wheels may be driven by a child riding upon the device shown in Figs. 3 and 4, I have provided a pinion 25 mounted upon the rear axle 22, which pinion is rigidly secured to this axle by a set screw, key or any other preferred means, not shown. This pinion is positioned upon the axle 22 between the spaced clips 18, which construction serves to prevent the axle 22 from moving longitudinally through these clips. The pinion 25 is driven by a relatively large gear 26 positioned between the spaced frame members 10 and 11 and is rotatably mounted upon one of these frame members by means of the stub shaft 27, which is rotatably mounted in the bearing member 28. This bearing member is preferably spaced from the under face of the frame member to which it is securedby a block 29, and the bearing member is rigidly secured in place by bolts 30 extending through the bearing member, through the block 29 and through the frame member. The stub shaft 27 is preferably rigidly secured to the gear 26, and after this stub shaft has been inserted in the-bearing member 28, it may be retained therein by a cotter pin 31.0r by any other preferred means.

The bearing member has a relatively long sleevelike extension in which the stub shaft rotates in order to provide a sufficiently wide bearing for this shaft. The means which I have provided for rotating the driving gear 26 consists of the rocking lever 32 pivotally mounted between the spaced frame members 10 and 11 by means of a pivot bolt 33, a cross bar 34 being preferably secured to the upper end of the lever 32 in order that the same may be grasped by the child ridinv upon this 'vehicle to operate the pivoted lever. The lower end of the lever 32 is prefcrably slotted and in this slot is secured by means of a bolt 35 the forward end of the connecting rod 36, the rear end of this rod being pivotally secured to the gear 26 by means of a bolt or the like 37. In order that a relatively large driving gear 26 may be used upon my device, it is necessary to support the seatmember 12 in spaced relation to the frame members 10 andll to provide a clearance space between this seat member and the upper portion of the driving gear. For this purpose I have provided the angle brackets 38, the inwardly directed end portions of which are preferably seated upon and bolted to the frame members 10 same is driven by the gear mechanism just described. In order to prevent this rear axle from rotating within the wheels 23, when this axle is driven, I have provided the bridge members 39, which consist preferably of the curved metal strips shown, each of which is rigidly secured to one end of a collar 40. The collar 40 and the bridge member secured thereto may be rigidly secured to the axle 22 by a set screw 41 mounted in the collar 40. The bridge members 39 preferably are forced against the inner face of each of the rear wheels 23 with one or both ends of each of the bridge members extending into engagement with an opening or the like 42, preferably formed in a lateral face of the wheels 23.

From the above description, it will be seen that the coaster shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be readily converted into the geared racer (Figs. 3 and 4) by adding to the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the gear mechanism just described, and it will also be apparent that the construction of the means disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2 for securing the rear axle 22 to the rear portion of the coaster, serves very satisfactorily as a hearing in which this axle rotates when driven by the mechanism shown in Figs. 3 and 4. It will further be apparent that in both my coaster and geared racer, the front axle may be adjusted towards or from the rear axle, as may be desired, and also the seat member may be adjusted longitudinally of the frame members 10 and 11.

It will be understood that various changes may be made in the mechanism herein described without departing from the scope of my invention, as defined in the annexed claims.

I do not claim broadly herein features broadly claimed in my copending application above mentioned.

What I claim is:

1. In a construction toy vehicle, a relatively long composite body formed of elongated pieces detachably secured together in end to end abutting relation, each piece having a series of perforations formed therein, supporting axles for the opposite 1 ends of said body, and means including bolts extending through said perforations for securing said axles to said, body in various relations.

2. In a wheeled construction toy, a body member, front and rear axles, means for pivotally securing said front axle to said body member, means for rotatably securing said rear axle to said body member, including clips having axle receiving perforations formed through the legs of said clips and brackets securing said clips to the body member, and means upon said body member for rotatingsaid rear axle.

3. In a wheeled construction toy, a body member, front and rear axles, means for rotatably securing said rear axle to said body member, including U-shaped clips having axle receiving perforations formed through the legs thereof, and brackets securing said clips to the body member, means upon said body member for rotating said rear axle, and means for securing said front axle to said body member.

4. In a wheeled construction toy, a body member provided with front and rear axles operatively secured thereto, wheels upon said axles, means for rotatably securing said rear axle to said body member, means upon said body member for rotating said rear axle, and means for non-rotatably securing said rear axle to a wheel mounted thereupon, comprising a collar detachably and nonrotatably secured to said axle, and a bridge plate carried by said collar and retained thereby in non-rotatable engagement with said wheel.

5. In a wheeled construction toy, a body member provided with front and rear axles, said body member having a series of perforations formed therein, said front and rear axles being provided with wheels, means for rotatably securing said rear axle to said body member, manually operable means upon said body member for rotating said rear axle, means for operatively securing said front axle to said frame, and bolts cooperating with said perforations to fasten said securing means to said frame in various positions.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 10th day of July, 1919.

ALFRED C. GILBERT. 

